"No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill house, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for 80 years and might for 80 more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone."
- The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
The paragraph is believed to the the single greatest opening paragraph in horror fiction.
5 years ago
4 comments:
Agreed!
Can't wait to read it :)
I remember when I was like you were before reading The Haunting of Hill House. The best horror novel I recall reading was 'Salem's Lot the one that made me feel unsafe.
Russ
I remember when I was like you before reading The Haunting of Hill House. Quietly building horror. The best horror novel I recall reading was 'Salem's Lot. Made me feel unsafe. I used to go into an area of the building I worked in that was being gutted for new office space. It got to be harder to go there each work day for lunch to read it. The realization gradually came to me that this was a place vampires could sleep during the day.
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